Universal tap jack

ABSTRACT

A drilling device comprises a tubular body portion having annular collar slidably mounted thereon so that the body can freely rotate within the collar and a drill rod is secured to one end of the body. A universal connection at the other end of the body is provided for attachment thereof to drill rotating means and a handle member is pivotally secured to the anular collar for manually directing the device.

United States Patent Nanne et al.

UNIVERSAL TAP JACK Inventors: Silvio Edward Nanne; Renville O. Moody, both of Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario, Canada The Algama Steel Corporation Limited, Sault Sainte Marie, Canada Filed: Dec. 7, 1970 Appl. No.: 95,862

Assignee:

us. Cl. ..408/236, 408/127, 266/42 rm. Cl. ..B23p 47/00 Field of Search ..266/42; 408/127, 234, 236

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1912 Bowden ADS/127 X 6/1928 Doyle ..408/234 X [4511 Oct. 24, 1972 3,177,736 4/1965 Kilmartin ..408/234 X 3,417,949 12/1968 Waber ..408/234 X 657,835 9/1900 Savage, ..408/236 X 1 1,242,566 10/1917 Leach ..408/236 Primary Examiner-J. Spencer Overholser Assistant Examiner-John S. Brown Attorney-Stevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher ABSTRACT 1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures P'ATENTEDnm 24 m2 SHEET 1 *1? 3 UNIVERSAL TAP JACK This invention relates to drilling and in particular to a device for horizontal drilling or inclined drilling near the horizontal. This type of drilling may be required in the installation of pipe, conduit, wire or cable under traveled areas without interfering with traffic or damaging the surface above. Another use for the mechanism is in the tapping of blast furnaces and the following disclosure will deal with such an application as an example.

A hearth portion of a blast furnace includes a pair of openings in the side wall thereof, the upper opening being referred to as a slag notch and the lower opening being referred to as an iron notch. As the molten iron within the furnace is heavier than the slag or cinder, it lies in the bottom of the hearth and is cast or removed periodically through the iron notch. This opening is plugged with clay except when the furnace is being cast. The slag is likewise removed through the upper slag notch.

The usual method of casting the furnace is to drill into the clay either manually or by means of an automatic tap-hole drill up to the skull of solid iron formed by the cooling effect in the hearth of the furnace. This skull is thenlanced with a steel pipe through which oxygen flows and burns through to the molten iron. Due to the pressure within the furnace, the molten iron and slag are pushed up and out of the drilled hole to run through a trough and runner and gate arrangement to awaiting iron and slag ladles. Subsequent to the casting, the tap hole is closed by means of a clay or mud gun.

The tap hole itself is drilled at an angle to the horizontal and this angle varies depending upon the practice of the particular plant. One example is an angle of from the horizontal.

When the blast furnace is shut down, it is banked or washed out and the hearth gets built up with solidified iron and slag. The amount of buildup varies and is dependent upon the amount of iron and slag removed on the final cast as well as on the amount of the semi-molten products left in the smelting zone of the furnace at the point of shutdown. The buildup is usually more pronounced in a banked furnace and as a result the normal tap hole angle is not used during the first number of casts.

In making initial casts the tap hole or iron notch is drilled as close to the horizontal as possible in order to bypass the buildup and get at the newly formed molten products. A runner system immediately in front of the furnace includes a trough to dampen the velocity of the molten products as they emerge from the furnace. The minimum angle at which the tap hole can be drilled is determined by the height of the sides of the trough and this angle can be as great as 10 or 15. Therefore, depending upon the length of the hole, this could result in a vertical heighth into the furnace which would completely miss the molten products newlyfonned in the hearth.

The present invention is adapted to eliminate the problem of not being able to drill horizontally or above a horizontal. position and therefore solves the problem of missing the tap hole and not being able to. get the molten iron and slag to flow from the furnace. According to one aspect, the invention consists of a drill device comprising a tubular body portion, an annular collar slidably mounted on said body for free rotation thereof within the collar; a drill rod secured to one end of said body; a universal connection at the other end of the body for attachment to drill rotating means; and a handle member pivotally secured to said annular collar.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-section of a portion of a blast furnace hearth;

FIG. 2 is a plain view of one embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a plain view of a second embodiment of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 a hearth portion of a furnace 2 includes an iron notch 4 through the wall thereof and a tap hole 6 which in the present example is approximately 25 from the horizontal. The tap hole 6 has been previously stopped with a carbonaceous clay by means of a mud gun. It will be noted that a clay buildup 12 has been maintained within the furnace hearth inorder to provide an adequate length to the tap hole. However, this could provide a vertical heighth into the furnace which would completely miss the molten product that is formed in the hearth. Accordingly, substantially horizontal drilling is required so as to get the molten iron and slag to flow out of the furnace. As shown schematically, the drill 10 is placed in or adjacent the trough 8 where, by means of its handle 36, it can be directed into the iron notch 4.

Referring to FIG. 2, the tapping device comprises a tubular body 14 interconnecting a. drill rod (in this example a twist drill) 16, with a drill shaft 18 which in turn is adapted to be rotated by suitable rotating means, not shown. The body 14 receives the drill 16 in a socket 20 and it is secured therein by a locking pin 22 which prevents the drill 16 from slipping out of the socket 20 when the drill is pushed into or out of a drilling operation. A stub shaft 24 is secured in the other end of the body 14 and constitutes one-half of a universal joint 26 which connects the body 14 to the drill shaft 18.

The provision of body 14 intermediate the drill shaft 18 and drill 16 allows the unit to be manually directed. Accordingly, an annular collar 28 is freely mounted on the body 14 whereby the latter may rotate within the collar. A plurality of stopping blocks 30 prevents axial movement of the collar 28 along the body 14. A pair of nipples 32 are secured to the collar 28 and extend radially therefrom with tubular handle anchors 34 being pivotally mounted thereon. A double T-handle 36 is secured to the tubular anchors 34 as shown, the latter being prevented from slipping off the nipples 32 by means of a locking bolt 37 which extends through both legs of the T handle.

The embodiment of FIG. 2 illustrates the type of unit to be used where a material can be drilled. In FIG. 3, the embodiment shown therein illustrates an example to be used when additional cutting force is required such as to tap a hole in the blast furnace.

The embodiment of FIG. 3 comprises a tubular centrally located body portion 114 having a socket in one end thereof and which receives a percussion type of drill rod 116 therein. The terminal end of rod 116 is provided with a cutting blade 117 and the other end of the body 114 forms a stub shaft 124 which constitutes one-half of a universal joint 126 that serves to adjoin the drill 116 to a drill shaft 118 of the type which is adapted to be actuated by a pneumatic jack hammer.

Like the embodiment of FIG. 2, the device of FIG. 3 utilizes an annular collar 128 freely mounted on the circumferential surface of the tubular body 114 whereby the latter may rotate within and relative to the collar. In

order for the drill to be manually manipulated, a double T-handle 136 is connected to the collar 128 by means of a pair of nipples 132 secured to and extending radially from the outer surface of the collar 128, the nipples 132 providing anchor means for tubes 134 at the lower end of the handle. A locking bolt 135 extends through both legs of the handle and prevents the anchor tubes 134 from being removed from the nipples 132.

The provision of the handle 136 allows the drill unit to be pushed, pulled or lifted prior to and during a drill operation. Stopping blocks 130 are secured to the outer surfaces of the body 1 14 to thereby limit the axial movement'of the collar 128 along the surface of the body. Additionally, it will be appreciated that the force to drill through any material is transmitted through the collar 128 and its associated handle.

It will be appreciated from FIG. 1 that the drill can be placed in the trough area adjacent the furnace and due to the pivotal action of the handle 36 or 136, the drill can assume practically any angle for operation. It can drill horizontally or angularly upwards or downwards with respect to the horizontal.

I claim:

1. A drilling device for tapping blast furnaces and the like comprising a tubular body portion; an annular collar slidably mounted on said body portion for free rotation thereof within the collar; a drill rod secured to one end of said body and a universal joint connection at the other end of the body for attachment for drill rotating means; and a handle member pivotally secured to the annular collar for providing manual force to the drill, said handle member comprising a pair of nipples secured to and extending from said collar; a tubular anchor member pivotally and coaxially mounted to each of said nipples; a handle shaft secured to the anchor members; and means interconnecting the handle shafts to prevent removal of said anchor members from said nipples; and restraining means on said body to limit axial movement thereon of said collar. 

1. A drilling device for tapping blast furnaces and the like comprising a tubular body portion; an annular collar slidably mounted on said body portion for free rotation thereof within the collar; a drill rod secured to one end of said body and a universal joint connection at the other end of the body for attachment for drill rotating means; and a handle member pivotally secured to the annular collar for providing manual force to the drill, said handle member comprising a pair of nipples secured to and extending from said collar; a tubular anchor member pivotally and coaxially mounted to each of said nipples; a handle shaft secured to the anchor members; and means interconnecting the handle shafts to prevent removal of said anchor members from said nipples; and restraining means on said body to limit axial movement thereon of said collar. 